Node modular sensor gets Android compatible version

Variable's been promising an Android version of Node since we first heard about it in early February of last year. The company's finally delivering on that promise with the launch of the latest edition of its modular monitor. The new Node is dually compatible Google's mobile operating system and iOS. The model also features a souped up wireless sensor, a quicker processor and more memory. That version'll run you $149, a fact the company is celebrating by dropping the original iOS-only version down to $99.

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Variable Launches Android-Compatible NODE

Variable, Inc., developer of the NODE modular wireless sensor platform, today announced the addition of an Android-compatible NODE to its product line. The new version of the wireless sensor device, which is equipped with Bluetooth 2.1, includes classic NODE functionality, plus an enhanced, accurate nine-degrees-of-freedom motion engine, faster processing speed and more onboard memory. The device features dual compatibility for Android and iOS.

"Android compatibility has been a primary question since we launched NODE. Adapting the technology in a way that allows us to offer NODE to Android users will create a more robust, demanding community across a substantial, new user base," said George Yu, Ph.D, chief executive officer and founder, Variable, Inc. "I have continually been humbled to see the ingenious applications independent developers have brought to NODE, and opening the platform up to the talented pool of Android developers will surely bolster its functionality well beyond what any of us can even imagine."

NODE supports a variety of sensing modules that can be connected to two expansion ports on either end of the device to create data for attributes of the environment, including gases in the air, color, humidity and barometric pressure. Featuring the same API as its predecessor, developers can continue creating new apps for NODE without experiencing a learning curve, and both new products are backwardly compatible with all existing NODE software.

Pricing and Availability

The Android-compatible version of NODE is available immediately for $149 (US). In addition, an iOS-only version of NODE featuring faster processing speeds and more onboard memory, is available immediately at a reduced price point of $99 (US). Both devices and the full suite of NODE sensors can be purchased directly from Variable, Inc. at www.variableinc.com.

"Offering NODE with expanded capabilities at a price point below $100 is a fantastic opportunity to make this platform even more accessible to a broader number of people," added Yu. "Professional and early adopter support for NODE has been phenomenal, but it's been my goal ever since starting this endeavor to make sure anybody who wants this technology can have it. I think this new price point achieves that."

Manufactured in Chattanooga, Tennessee at Variable headquarters, the NODE platform is used in a variety of industrial, educational and professional applications. NODE can be expanded by both software and hardware and increase their capabilities through software application development and new sensor module releases.